Although the tournament is already halfway through, players from several teams, including Durbar Rajshahi, have complained about not receiving their payments. This led to Rajshahi’s players boycotting practice, sparking major controversy ahead of the Chattogram phase of the league.
Upon arriving in Chattogram, Durbar Rajshahi initially scheduled a rest day. However, on Wednesday, when they were supposed to practice, the team canceled the session just minutes before its start, claiming the players would rest again. The sudden decision raised questions, and it later emerged that the players had refused to practice due to unpaid wages. What followed was a day of intense drama.
As news broke of unpaid salaries, it became evident that this wasn’t an isolated issue. Players from Khulna Tigers and Chattogram Kings reportedly faced similar problems, although both franchises assured solutions were on the way.
Rajshahi was supposed to begin their practice session at 10:00 AM on Wednesday at the MA Aziz Stadium, but at 9:48 AM, their media team announced that practice had been canceled. The real reason soon became clear: the players hadn’t received a single payment yet. They even threatened to boycott Friday’s match against Sylhet Strikers if the issue wasn’t resolved.
The situation attracted a crowd of journalists and curious onlookers to the team hotel, where updates were scarce. According to players, despite playing six matches, most local players hadn’t received any payments, not even daily allowances (DA) for the last 10 days. The franchise had only paid 25% of the salaries owed to foreign players and coaching staff.
As per BPL’s payment policy, 50% of the salary is to be paid before the tournament starts, 25% during the tournament, and the remaining 25% after it concludes. However, most teams seem to have ignored these guidelines this year.
When asked after Rajshahi’s first match about the payment delays, team captain Anamul Haque had avoided complaints, saying, “We haven’t been paid yet, none of us. The BPL has just started. We don’t want to raise issues or create complications. The world watches the BPL, and we don’t want it to be known for payment issues in global cricket.”
However, the same Anamul and his teammates took the bold step of boycotting practice this time. Efforts to reach Rajshahi’s team manager, former national opener Mehrab Hossain, for comments went unanswered. Media manager Ishtiaq Parvez stated that the payment matter was being handled by higher authorities and that he had no further information.
Similar complaints emerged from Khulna and Chattogram players. On Wednesday, Chattogram players skipped practice as well, though it wasn’t confirmed if it was due to unpaid wages. Chattogram team manager Mohammad Lablur Rahman acknowledged payment issues, revealing that foreign players had received 75% of their salaries, but local players received varying amounts, causing confusion. He assured that payments would be resolved in a couple of days.
Khulna franchise owner Iqbal Al Mahmud echoed similar sentiments, promising that all players would receive 50% of their dues before their next match.
“We’ve started paying players from Tuesday. Most have received payments today, and the remaining players will be paid by Thursday.”
Despite the ongoing payment drama, efforts were underway to resolve the situation. BPL Governing Council Secretary Nazmul Abedin couldn’t be reached for comments, but reporters waited throughout the day for updates.
By evening, BCB President and BPL Governing Council Chairman Faruk Ahmed arrived at the Radisson Blu Hotel, where five of the teams, including Rajshahi, were staying. Rumors spread that his visit was related to the payment issues, but it was later clarified that his visit had been pre-scheduled to oversee the Chattogram phase. However, he did hold an online meeting with stakeholders to address the payment delays.
Later, BCB Director Manjur Alam spoke to the media, assuring them that the matter would be resolved by Thursday.
“Negotiations are ongoing, and we hope to have a positive resolution by tomorrow. The president has personally spoken with captains and key players, and franchise owners are set to arrive tomorrow. We’re confident of finding a solution.”
He admitted that the situation was embarrassing for the board:
“It is a bit of an embarrassing situation, but the president has been working daily to ensure all teams comply with payment regulations. The process is ongoing.”
Rajshahi announced that they would resume practice on Thursday at 10:00 AM, suggesting that progress had been made toward resolving the issue.
